After a weeks-long trial, a jury has reached a verdict in Todd and Julie Chrisley’s fraud case.
The Chrisley Knows Best couple were found guilty on all counts, Us Weekly can confirm. “Disappointed in the verdict,” the pair’s lawyer noted in a statement on Tuesday, June 7, adding that “an appeal is planned.”
A sentencing will be held at a later date.
The couple were indicted on 12 counts of tax evasion, bank and wire fraud and conspiracy in 2019. Todd denied the claims in a lengthy statement at the time, alleging that their former employee Mark Braddock was attempting to get “revenge” on the twosome.
“He took a bunch of his phony documents to the U.S. Attorney’s office and told them we had committed all kinds of financial crimes, like tax evasion and bank fraud,” Todd said in 2019. “That got their attention all right, but once we had a chance to explain who he was and what he’d done to us, they realized it was all a bunch of nonsense and they sent him on his way. [He] persuaded a different set of investigators at the U.S. Attorney’s office not only to reopen the case but also to grant him immunity from prosecution for his own crimes and bring charges against us.”
Assistant US Attorney Annalise Peters, meanwhile, alleged in court that Todd and Julie obtained more than $30 million in loans by lying about their wealth and earnings.
“They made up documents and they lie through their teeth to get whatever they want, whenever they want it,” Peters said in court.
The attorney also alleged that Todd and Julie continued to hide funds from the IRS after Braddock, who worked with the government on the case, no longer was associated with the USA stars.
“All along, the goal was to hide the money,” Peter claimed, alleging that the trio “targeted” community banks and used “scrapbooking” to cut and paste parts of financial documents.
When Braddock testified, he claimed that he and Todd had “a personal relationship of an intimate nature,” which the Chrisleys’ lawyer denied.
“I suggest to you that Mark Braddock is the very picture of reasonable doubt,” attorney Bruce Morris pleaded with the jury during his closing statement earlier this month.
